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Page 385
de Ros and his failure to demand yielding of his opponent lost upon Alinor.
Still, she had not forgotten Ian's danger. She uttered an oath under her breath when she saw Sir Henry charging ahead to engage, all careless of his lord's safety. Sir Walter, however, was not far from Ian, and Robert of Leicester, although well to the right, seemed to be forcing his opponent in Ian's direction. Vesci's men, undisciplined and caught up in the battle, were scattering. Anxiously, Alinor's eyes turned to the opposing forces, seeking there the insurance she hoped she had purchased. At first, she did not find what she sought, and fear made her bite her lips again. Hurriedly, she looked back at the place Ian had held. A gasp was drawn from her as she saw the team of knights bear down upon him.
''Too soon," she told herself, "it is too soon. Nothing will be done so early. The stinking cowards will wait until he is tired and until the dust rises enough so that their filthy treachery will be better concealed from all eyes." Nonetheless, she watched with quickened breath until it was certain that Ian was in no trouble. Then her eyes searched the field again. Surely, surely, her trust had not been misplaced. But she could not find the drab surcoat, the battered and besmirched shield with half-obliterated emblem that had been decided upon as the best concealment for Sir Guy's real identity.
He had to be there. He had to beunless the young fool had been carried away by the fighting like Sir Henry. I will kill him, Alinor thought. If Ian dies because of his carelessness, I will kill him by inches over years and years of torture. Perhaps it was not his fault. Perhaps he had been attacked and taken prisoner. Would that young fool's honor keep him off the field? Would he let Ian die for some stupid point of proper behavior? What of the other men Sir Guy had been supposed to enlist to help him? Where were they? And

 
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